If they weren’t around, only a charred future remained for me.
A shudder rolled through my body, and my eyes ached, even though no tears emerged for once.
I glanced at the GPS on my phone. A minute away. My heart thumped hard. The idea of going into their apartment withoutthem felt sacrosanct. How would I even get inside? Ursuline hadn’t given me a key. Hell, we’d only just agreed to be in a relationship.
And already, the glimmer of hope had been shattered.
Monsters didn’t escape from Alpha Blue. No, they vanished, and they were either dragged off to cells to rot or were banished to monster colonies. Knowing how Frederick operated, Ursuline would be sent below to New Atlantis to work in the orichalcum mines. If I didn’t stop this, somehow, they’d never escape the monster that had plagued them their whole life. Panic gripped my chest.
If they ended up below, I couldn’t reach them.
While there was underwater transport to and from New Atlantis, I could guarantee Frederick wouldn’t be letting me aboard any time soon, and he controlled a large portion of the city.
If I didn’t get Ursuline free, and fast, I might never get the chance.
Pressure seeped into my bones.
I stopped in front of a three-story home with a steep gabled roof and decorative purple trim against the black clapboard exterior. It reminded me in a way of Sofia’s place, unique and definitively them. Ursuline had made it sound like they lived in an apartment, but the building before me looked like a singular house.
I stepped up the walkway, my skin prickling as if I were being watched. Ever since I left Triton Manor, I couldn’t shake the feeling. Chances were, I’d have to wait for Sofia to get here to do anything. Not only did she have a barrier spell cast, but I also didn’t have a key or lockpicking skills.
All I had was a directive to nab the Liquidium Industries folders.
When I reached the door, a sense of…something wrong…settled inside me.
Maybe I should try the knob, just in case. Standing out here in front of Ursuline’s apartment was like asking to be caught. And this time I’d be by myself, left to my own devices.
I reached for the knob and twisted.
Unlocked.
My brows drew together. Had Sofia somehow gotten here before me? A lingering burnt sugar smell hinted of the perimeter spell that they’d set in place, and yet when I tried to step inside, my foot settled onto the ground.
The inside of the house looked similar to the exterior, and the deep scent of currant lingered through the entryway. A sharp shard of longing pierced my chest.
This couldn’t be the end for us. Not when we’d only just begun.
Rustling sounded from up the steps. I sucked in a shaky breath. The art on the walls snagged my attention as I ascended the staircase, moody and atmospheric pieces, which fit them perfectly. Even from here, the imprints of Ursuline on this place made me twist to knots inside. In a way, this felt like a fugue state, as if they’d reappear at any moment. They’d been right by my side less than an hour ago, and I couldn’t fathom what would happen if Cillian didn’t have enough sway to track them down. To free them.
How would this situation be for people who had no one at all? Like Jason, and others who’d escaped bad situations and were trying to survive? Fuck. My mind dizzied as I reached the top of the staircase, and I clenched my jaw hard, attempting to shut out the conflicting thoughts and worries.
More of the rustling came from one of the rooms to the right, so I followed it, making sure to approach quietly. While the only logical explanation was Sofia, given the boundary being down, I wasn’t in a safe situation, by any means. Each woodenfloorboard tried to creak, so I slowed my paces, focusing on my breathing, on each forward footstep.
A low curse sounded from the room, freezing me in place.
That didn’t sound like Sofia.
Sweat prickled on my palms as I continued to approach. Fuck, what if the noise came from one of Frederick’s men? What if they’d somehow made it through? Ursuline and I could be locked away in separate prisons and never be able to reach each other. Adrenaline pulsed through my veins, cold and icy. The temptation to turn around and run back down the stairs and out the door flooded through me in a real way.
Except Ursuline needed me to do this.
I might be a failure in everything else in my life, but I couldn’t fail them here.
I reached into my pocket, wishing I had more than a wallet with a bottle opener attachment, my phone, a few pens. Something I could defend myself with. My mouth dried as I reached the doorframe.
Then I peered inside.
Back turned, a man rifled through one of the massive filing cabinets in this room, which looked like an office. The broad shoulders, the thick, silver hair fired signal flares. He didn’t need to face me for me to know who this was.
